This week let us take a look at most likely a familiar Bible story about Jesus and His disciples and see what we can learn and apply to our lives.
Luke 8:22-25 (NIV)
Jesus Calms the Storm
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
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Can you relate to this story?
Does this story draw any parallels to our lives? I sure think so!
I like Jesus’ first statement. “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.”
**Couldn’t that represent Jesus taking us in a new direction with something in our life? Maybe a new path you’ve never been down before?
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It is interesting to note that “they” got into the boat.
**They refer to Jesus and His disciples. What a great reminder for us to remember that Jesus is always with you and I in the “boat.” Yes, whenever we set out on a new adventure or really anytime! He is always with us on our journey of life.
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What does Jesus do soon after their boat trip started? Jesus falls asleep!
**Jesus, knowing His and our Father, God, is always in charge of things, easily fell asleep trusting and knowing all would be fine no matter what the circumstances looked like. A good lesson I think we can all learn from.
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Just when all seemed to be smooth sailing, what happens? A squall, a sudden violent gust of wind or localized storm usually bringing rain, comes along!
**Does that ring true in your life? All is well until it seems like a major crisis hits–maybe even more than one at a time to try to get us stuck down?
Photo courtesy of Katerina Athanasaki under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
How do the disciples react when they feel danger quickly overtaking them? They panic!
**Do you, like the disciples did, ever kind of panic when the storms come into your life? Do the waves come crashing over the boat of your life so much so you think you, too, are in danger?
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In their panic, what do the disciples do? They run to Jesus, waking Him up to tell them they are going to drown! Can you hear the fear in their voice?
**Do you run to Jesus when the storms of life are overtaking you? Do you tell Him how you feel and that you need His help? Can you relate?
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I love how Jesus does not appear to panic. Instead, He appears calm during the whole storm. Why He was so calm that He was able to still sleep during the storm! It did not faze him at all!
Photo courtesy of Leonard J Matthews under Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 2.0)
To calm the disciples, though, what does Jesus do? Yes, He gets up, rebuked the wind and the raging waters. Jesus remained in control the whole time. Isn’t it powerful to see Jesus then asked the disciples where their faith was?
**Do we let Jesus take care of the storms in our life? Not panic or fear, but rather have faith?!
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What can we personally take away from this scene?
–That Jesus is right there with us in the middle of the storm.
–We need to not panic and trust Him.
–Our Faith needs to be bigger than our fear.
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Can you think of a storm in your life where you knew that Jesus was with you and that your faith was bigger than your fear? May I encourage you to please share in the comment section below? It would bless me to hear your story!
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven. –Psalm 107:28-30 (NIV)
